IIT Roorkee submits probe report over Bihar bridge collapse

Patna June 7 (IANS) The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has submitted its probe report in connection to the collapse of the Aguwani-Sultanganj bridge in Bihar's Bhagalpur district.

The premier institute submitted the report on Tuesday night to the state's Road Construction Department.

IIT Roorkee was hired for the investigation of the bridge collapse that took place on Sunday -- the second time in 14 months.

Confirming the development, a Road Construction Department official said: "We will discuss on the point of investigation IIT Roorkee has done followed by its recommendation to take decisions. We will soon prepare a new Detail Project Report (DPR) to construct a new bridge. It will be constructed in a time bound manner."

The officer however refused to share the details of the report publicly.

The Bihar government is facing huge criticism following the bridge collapse. It has suspended an executive engineer of Khagaria as well.

It has also issued show cause notice to the S.P. Singla Construction Pvt. Ltd, which was developing the bridge, and asked it to reply within 15 days on why the state government should not black list it.

The Rs 1,710 crore four-lane road bridge project connected Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district and Aguwani Ghat in Khagaria district.

It was supposed to start for public use on the birthday of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on June 11 this year.